


the beast with two backs

by melanincyclops



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Kray is just as manipulative as canon, M/M, Mutual Pining, cw: blood, cw: mentions of animal death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:53:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27792583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melanincyclops/pseuds/melanincyclops
Summary: Park Ranger Galo was tasked with dealing with the wolves that were killing people around town. What he didn't expect was for this wolf to be more than that.
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare), Kray Foresight/Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	the beast with two backs

**Author's Note:**

> I'M PUSHING THE DEADLINE, BUT have my (late) entry for the Promare Halloween Exchange on the Promare Flames 18+ discord server. Couldn't meet all of the expectations, but I did what I could! Please enjoy! I will add other tags as people notify me.
> 
> ((Also, for those that were looking for my other Promare story, I'm rewriting it.))

For as long as Lio has been able to remember, he's always been more wolf than human; always connected to the moon and always with a pack. His chosen family never abandoned him, never left him wondering where his next meal was coming from, and above else, they loved him. He barely remembered his life before then, and he doesn't care to try.

All he knows is Meis' warm touch and Guiera's cold nose against his foot every morning. Waking him with a nudge, he would move over so he could emerge from their cave to find a tree to piss against. 

The air was brisk with the threat of a cold winter. Probably the coldest they'd ever experience if they weren't prepared. Unfortunately they weren't, with them collectively having an amount of $40 between them to work with, they needed to find ways to either find money or steal it, by any means necessary. 

Transforming back into his human skin was painful, but unavoidable. Lio needed to seem approachable. He needed to blend in with the humans, in order to get their resources. Claws retracted into bone, naked flesh was exposed with no fur to cover it, and his eyes and ears were forced to adjust to no longer being lupine - which, according to him was one of the more annoying parts, but _worst of all_ , he was **shorter.**

 _Why_ his human form was smaller than his alternate form was always a mystery, but his pack never made him feel less than just because he was smaller. If anything, it made him more ferocious and unpredictable, since most people assumed he was just a puppy.

"I hate this goddamn human form," Lio grumbled as he pulled on a pair of pants that he'd set aside. Guiera was tugging on a shirt as Meis scratched the side of Lio's ear under his poofy hair. 

"I know, kiddo, but we need supplies if we wanna last the winter. You said so yourself. Unfortunately, the damn mayor has his own lap dogs surveying the area so there might not be a way for us to get everything we had planned; but if we could just get most of the shit we need to stay in a cabin, then we're golden."

"What makes this plan so sketchy is that we're basically stealing everything. None of us have actual jobs, or qualifications to get one, so doing this the legal and fair way doesn't work for us." By this point in the conversation, Guiera had washed his face in a nearby stream and chuckled at the same conversation they always have whenever the cold was drawing near.

Lio tries to be diplomatic; lamenting about his lack of skills in this or that. Meis offers a solution that gets put into action, until something happens that undoes the carefully tied knot that they worked so hard to create, thus putting them back at square one.

"Maybe we should have a backup plan in case this goes wrong this time," Meis said, pulling his long hair into a high ponytail. 

"You think something will go wrong?"

"Something _always_ does. In the previous years, our bag got raided by other animals, our makeshift cave was overtaken by bears - Guiera almost _dying_ after getting mauled; he even has the scar to prove it - and you almost losing a foot after getting caught in a trap. We’ve all been severely injured, but we still have each other’s backs in the end, and that’s all we could ask for. This year, we _absolutely_ need to plan better.”

Lio looked at Meis and hung his head in slight amounts of shame. It’s been said that insanity is simply doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. He had noted that with each winter they seem to have the same plan put in place: find food by all means, even if those means are ones of casualties. 

There were more of them that they’ve met over the years of this life, but as their numbers dwindled, Lio, Guiera and Meis just made graves and moved on. Before long, all of the dirt started to feel the same underneath their paws. As long as they themselves don’t get buried, then nobody had to outright worry about anyone getting severely injured. 

Well, except for Guiera that one time, but he was swiftly cared for. Lio felt horrible. So much so that he intentionally didn’t eat for the majority of the winter’s storm that year. It worried Meis, but he knew Lio’s intentions were with atonement in mind. 

Lio simply couldn’t afford to lose them. Even if he could afford to take care of himself. 

“What plan did you have in mind as a backup?”

“Well, if all else fails...we could always try to kill the mayor of this town," Meis said as casually as he would discuss the weather. Lio looked at him incredulously as Guiera simply gave a feral grin. 

"No doubt he'll want us dead for all the _deaths_ in his _tiny, sleepy town_ , right? It wouldn’t be a shock if he’s upset at the number of surprise funerals he’s had to attend. It’s not his fault there’s so many elderly, overweight and lazy people. Honestly, it’s a sort of population control, if you ask me. Anyway, itt's only fair that we get the jump on him before he forcibly breaks up our pack," Guiera said, an acrid bite to his words. They _did_ raise a point. All the towns they visited for supplies, they were met with nothing but underlying resentment. 

It sickened Lio. 

All he and his pack have ever wanted was to survive, by any and all means. It wasn’t their fault the towns had so many clear openings and opportunities to snatch someone up and murder them. Bodies are just easier to hide when you’re a dog. 

"Fine. But _only_ if things go awry. I don't want any more close calls. No charging headfirst into danger. And for fuck's sake; no provoking the town," Lio said as he pulled on a shirt from the bag of emergency clothes they bought. A simple black shirt and pants combo would help him to blend in, had it not been for his hair. His longer than average bob of platinum blond hair made it hard for him to be inconspicuous, but a hat helped. 

Slipping one on after pulling on a pair of black sneakers, he stood around waiting for the others to finish dressing, but quickly left when Guiera had plans to give Meis a heated kiss instead. 

With a sigh, he walked further away from the entrance of the cave; not wanting to hear any of the pleasured sounds that may echo. There were times where he might've been a little envious of what they had, but he realized those thoughts were ridiculous and got him exactly _nowhere._

Didn't stop him from yearning, though. 

Didn’t stop him from wanting someone to love him in a way that made him _know_ he was loved in every sense of the word. 

A soft breeze carried the sweet scent of _man_ through the trees, and Lio's eyes dilated at the aroma. He turned his head to the direction of what he hoped was the source and started walking. He walked through the trees, over some rocks and past a small clearing before he finally found _him._

He was a tall man with a semi-long mane of ( _blue_???) hair, wielding an axe with the intent to cut firewood. His muscles rippled with the action of lifting the instrument over his head, before bringing it down; cutting the log in two. 

Lio growled. The urge to claim this man as his own overrode whatever sense of danger he should've felt. His scent of clove, some sort of aftershave, and sweat made Lio’s mouth water. His teeth itched with the urge to pierce his flesh and taste his blood. 

A twig snapping underneath his foot betrayed his position, and Lio swore under his breath. The beautiful man shifted his axe so that it rested on his neck muscles as he wiped his brow on his shirt that was tied around his waist. Lio crouched down into the bushes, cursing as more branches snapped. 

"Stupid nature," he whispered as he moved around the bush. The man suddenly ducked around the bus toward him, and they danced around the bush for a moment, Lio desperately trying to keep out of sight. And it worked, at least until the man got the bright idea to shove his head through the bush filled with thorns; startling Lio and making him fall on his ass. 

"What the hell!" He exclaimed as the man smiled; pinpricks of blood from small wounds on his face and leaves in his hair. If Lio wasn't 100% sure this man was human, he would've said he was fae. Although a weird one. 

"Hey! Why were you hiding? If you wanted some firewood, you could've asked." 

Lio's face flushed as he saw the tiny droplets of blood. He wanted to lick the wounds to heal them; taste the blood to see more into his past…

"I... don't I have to pay for it? I may not have much money, but if you want it—"

"Nah. I don't mind sharing. I might've made too much actually!" He said, pulling his head out from the other side of the bush. Lio stood and came around and flushed more. 

There were tiny streams of blood from where the thorns were in the beautiful man's neck. They were running down his pecs now and Lio was torn between walking up to him and _licking them_ or telling him that he was bleeding. Somehow he looked more lupine than Lio ever had, and it made Lio’s heart twist in his chest. 

"I suppose I'll take some firewood. My pa- _family_ and I could use some for our cabin, but we have very little money to work with."

"Of course! I'm more than happy to help!" The man said as he put the axe down and untied the shirt from around his waist. He wiped his brow and face, as if he knew he was bleeding before - or at least aware of it - and just now decided to care. Lio was saddened at the fact that he wouldn’t get to taste the sweet smelling blood, but he pushed it to the back of his mind for now. 

"But, I'm a stranger? For all you know I could kill you," Lio said, taking the slightly aggressive approach, hoping that it would deter this guy from being too nice. Too much niceness usually meant a trap later on. He never trusted people that smiled too hard. 

"If you wanted to, you would've done so already. You could disarm me, take my axe and chop me up; but you haven’t. Now if you're waiting for a moment where I'm oblvious, that's different. Still, I trust you to _not_ kill me, even though I'm doing you a favor out of kindness." 

‘What the _hell_? Is this guy an idiot?’ Lio thought as the handsome man tossed his shirt on a tree stump and ran a gloved hand through his hair; pushing more of his scent in Lio’s direction. Lio’s nostrils flared as he turned away in an attempt to hide his blush. 

"How can you trust someone you've never met? It seems redundant, Not to mention reckless." Lio said as he folded his arms and took several deep breaths to get fresh air. It was suddenly too hot; too saturated with this guy’s scent that his breathing was a bit labored. 

"Maybe. But I believe there's good in everyone, even those that don't want that good to be seen," he said, tossing a smile over his shoulder as he bent over to grab some of the stray pieces of firewood. His back muscles rippled with each flex of his arms and once again, Lio turned away. 

He so desperately wanted to see his claw marks skating down his back. 

"Either you don't have very good self-preservation, or you're an idiot," Lio mumbled as he walked over to the stump from before and sat, swinging one leg over the other and glaring from under his cap. The blush from before was still apparent on his face, but only if you got close enough.

"Hey! It's not nice to insult someone that's just done you a favor! And how are you gonna carry all of that? Do you have a wagon or a truck nearby?" 

Lio hung his head a bit in shame. He didn't know the first thing about cars - other than the fact that they were loud, cost too much to keep and maintain and that humans treated them like a status symbol. It was too trivial for him to really care about, and yet, in that moment, he wished he had one so that he and his pack would at least sleep in that to stave off the winter's chill instead of relying on abandoned cabins or caves like a bunch of animals. 

Even if they were animals at times. 

Still, this ( _beautiful_ ) idiot didn't need to know that. 

"N-No… I was going to go into town and see if I could borrow one." He realized how stupid he sounded as soon as the words left his mouth. No one simply _borrowed_ a fucking car of all things. 

" _Borrow_ one? You must not be from around here. Borrowing doesn't happen very often in this town, unless you're in close standings with the person who you're borrowing from - and even then, you have to be careful. Make a mistake and forget, and that's how people are short a lawnmower." 

"A... _what_?" 

"Ya know, big machine that cuts grass? Has a really noticeable sound? Ya hear them every weekend?" 

Lio had spent too much of his life in his lupine skin to really worry about most of the things kids his age were doing. Whether that was growing up with an actual family, getting gifts on his birthday (whenever _that_ was), celebrating holidays, or cutting the grass. 

How was he supposed to tell this oaf that he spent so much of his time worrying more about whether or not he was going to be hunted than making sure his grass was cut? Let alone the fact that he had never had a proper home to grow up in?

"I'm not following," Lio said.

"Man, either you really _aren't_ from around here, or you're just not familiar with most customs. Either way, I'm happy to show you around! I'm Galo." _Finally,_ the beautiful man introduced himself. Scratching his head a bit before extending his hand in a shake, Lio shook his hand. It engulfed his own in warmth, and it was slightly sweaty, but Lio didn't mind. 

"L-Lio," he said as he shook three times before regrettably letting go. He wanted those hands on him again.

"Leo? Like a lion?" 

Lio inwardly bit his lip. A common misconception. 

"No. L-i-o. Lio Fotia." 

Galo’s confused face was cute. "Hm. Interesting name. I'm not one to judge though, it's _your_ name. So, what brings you here, Lio? You have family here?" Galo shifted his weight from foot to foot, before shoving his hands in his pockets; Attention solely focused on Lio. It made Lio slightly self conscious, but he started talking anyway. 

"My family and I came here together. We were unprepared, so we're looking for supplies for the upcoming winter." 

Galo scratched his chin and thought for a while, before snapping his fingers and grinning.

"Sounds like you guys will be staying a while. Do you want a tour guide?" He had all of the excitement of a puppy. Lio _also_ thought this was adorable. 

Time to deflect. He could feel himself getting too attached to this guy. Too much risk, not enough reward. 

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Lio stood with his arms folded in a defensive stance. 

"Well, a welcome, friendly face makes staying in a new town all the more easier, right?" Galo's smile never wavered, if anything it grew a bit brighter. 

"Typically, yes. But I never asked for hospitality."

"No, but I felt like giving it anyway."

" _Why_?" 

Galo walked towards him as Lio instinctively backed away. He had nowhere to go, except leaning against a tree. He tried to meld himself into the wood; become like a tree, but Galo was persistent in making this new guy feel like he belonged. Galo making such an astronomical effort to make Lio feel special was almost enough to melt his heart. 

_Almost._

Still. He had to put up a wall. He wasn’t meant to live in the same world as Galo; a world where pure light exists. It was impossible. 

"You seem like you need it," Galo said. 

"Bullshit. No one's that damn nice unless they have ulterior motives." 

"Not _bullshit_. I aim to be hospitable to everyone. It's a part of my job." Hearing Galo swear was about as amusing as it was arousing. 

"So a paycheck is your motivation. Got it." Lio gave a small chuckle as Galo gave him a frustrated look. 

" _No_ —I'm nice because that's just how I am. You haven't given me a reason to be otherwise." 

"Well, I'm not exactly rolling out the welcome wagon here."

"And you don't have to." 

Lio's brain was at a loss for what to say. He _had_ a rebuttal, but he couldn't think of a proper one since those _dumb, stupid_ eyes were looking at him like he held the world. It made him slightly uncomfortable. 

"Weirdo."

"I've been called worse," Galo said with a crooked smile. 

" _I_ _diot_."

"Yeah, I've been called that before," he said, voice soft and leaning into Lio's face. Was...was he going in for a _kiss_ or something?!

"Stop inching so close to me. Ever heard of personal space?"

"Your eyes are _stunning_. I've never seen a pair that color. Are they contacts?"

"No, of course not."

"That's _amazing_!"

"Yeah well, the wonders never cease," Lio said with an eye roll as Galo stared with more intensity.

"I like how they look when the sun is bouncing off of them. They look like gemstones." The glare from earlier was back on Lio's face as Galo's stupid grin was back. 

"St—stop saying such embarrassing shit!"

"Compliments are embarrassing?"

"Only coming from _you_!"

"Coming from me, huh? Interesting," Galo said, voice softer as he could just about taste his breath on his lips. _So he_ **_was_ ** _leaning in for a kiss after all?? Did he kiss every stranger he meets, or was Lio an exception?_

"Need I _remind_ you, that you are still a stranger?! Anyway, I'll um, be taking that firewood now," Lio said, ducking under Galo's arm (holding his breath to avoid taking in too much more of his scent and cause the boner in his pants to strain _even more_ ) and walking towards the pile to see which pieces would be good to bring back to his pack. 

"Right...um. Did you want to use my truck?"

"I... I don't know how to drive." 

"Well, I could take you to where you needed to go... if you want."

"I think my family might attack if they meet someone they don't know."

"Attack? What are they, guard dogs?" Lio smiled fondly.. No way in hell that was a lucky guess. This guy is more perceptive than he thought. 

"Something like that, yes."

"Well, I'll go to where you want me to and just drop you off. Sounds good?"

"I suppose. Might be a bit risky, considering...the dogs and all," Lio said, a breeze traveling through his hair. The slight tangy scent of iron when Galo scratched up his face was still present in the air and Lio had to clear his throat several times in order to not growl at the delicious scent. 

"On second thought. Maybe you shouldn't," Lio muttered, diverting his attention to an animal scurrying off in the distance. Galo was halfway into his shirt, when Lio turned around to face him and quickly regretted seeing the muscles rippling.

“Are your dogs _that_ much of a threat?” ‘You have no idea,’ Lio thought as he grabbed a few pieces of wood and began heading back to where he came. Galo went to grab a few pieces as well and pile them onto a wagon he had in the back of his truck. 

“Okay, well since the truck is too much, then here! Take this wagon full of firewood!” Galo said; quickly approaching Lio’s location. Turning around to his side, Galo faltered as he saw Lio’s eyes shining in the sun again. A big, dopey smile stretched across his face as he caught up to Lio, who was slightly glaring. 

“Still so eager to help, I see?”

“I can’t help it. It’s a part of my job.” 

“Uh huh. Well, thank you. This _was_ helpful.”

“Sure thing! Also, since you’re not from here, I suppose I should mention that we have a bit of a wolf problem.” Lio froze in his tracks; a slight amount of panic rising in his throat, making him unable to speak, so he chose to listen. 

“See, there’s only three of ‘em, but they’re really dangerous. They’ve already killed 20 people over the course of the 2 months they’ve been lingering around. So far, we haven’t had any leads as to where they’re primarily located, or if they have a leader, but judging by the mangled state of the previous bodies they’ve left behind-there weren’t many-we can come to the conclusion that they have eaten their fill for now and will probably be trying to hibernate soon. We’ll be keeping an eye out for any caves in the upcoming weeks to see if we can find them and put a stop to the murders.” This was bad. 

This was really, _really_ bad. 

Damnit! Lio shouldn’t have let Meis and Guiera have their fill so many times! Granted, he wasn’t innocent either. There have been plenty of nights where he’s come home covered in blood; a life forcibly snuffed by him, all because he was hungry. His entire life, he’s never regretted any of his decisions; each actions he’s taken up until this point has been calculated and properly planned. Yet, why _now_ did he feel like he fucked up in the worst way? He doesn’t even know this guy from a hole in the ground, but he feels like he’s betrayed him. 

Balling his hands into fists at his sides, he felt his claws begin to dig into the meaty flesh of his palms; the stinging pain sobering enough to remind him of his earlier objective. 

“That...was...informative. I’ll be sure to notify my family and keep our dogs safe from predators.” Lio said with a surprisingly calm voice. Turning away from Galo, he was able to fully let go of the anxiety in a shuddering breath, before turning back around, grabbing the handle for the wagon and briskly making his way back. 

He wishes he could hide for more than just the winter. 

“Uh, wait!” Galo’s voice called as Lio gave pause. Turning his head slightly, Lio saw a glimpse of Galo’s shoulders relaxing as he was heard. 

“W...Will I see you again? Maybe? When all this madness is over?” Lio let his shoulders sag and sighed defeatedly. Galo may be an idiot, but he was _at least_ deserving of a response. 

“Maybe. I don’t think we’ll recognize each other though.” Just elusive enough to keep him guessing.

“What do you mean?” Lio chuckled under his breath, smiled and shook his head. 

“...Don’t worry about it. I just hope that _if_ we do see each other again, it’ll be like this.” Carefree...harmless...serene, with a hint of romantic tension-

“-Standing together in a forest with a wagon of firewood between us?” This time, Lio barked a laugh and Galo grinned brightly.

“You’re an _idiot,_ Galo.”

“From _you_ , that’s a compliment.” Galo said, eyes shimmering in the midday sun as Lio began his retreat. Lio thought bittersweetly, that his eyes remind him of oceans. 

“Sure.” Lio waved one hand up in a wave. His earlier smile slowly disappeared from his face as the reality of the situation unfolded in his mind: they _fucked up_ and they were going to be hunted and killed if they even _think_ of going after the Mayor. It became apparent that the main goal has been diverted. Were they still trying to be accepted by normal society, or were they just trying to survive another winter? Should they skip this town altogether, in an attempt to undo the damage? Impossible. Lives were already lost. Bodies were found and buried. Families destroyed - forever in disrepair.

Shit, Shit, _Shit!_ _Something_ had to be done, but _what_?!

* * *

Before long, he was back at their hideout, Guiera nowhere in the immediate area and Meis dragging the carcass of a deer he'd killed.

“Ah, there’s Lio! And you bought firewood, very nice. Where’d it come from?”

“Found a guy in the woods cutting some. He took pity on me, I guess and decided to share the wealth.” Lio dropped the handle on the wagon in front of the cave, the metal making a loud _clanging_ sound. Meis looked up and paused his food dragging. 

“What happened, did you _kill_ the guy or something? I thought we discussed it’s fine to kill as long as you’re hungry when you do it.” Lio wanted to chuck the entire log into the nearby river. He wishes he’d never taken Galo’s nice firewood; wishes he never had the chance encounter with meeting him, then he wouldn’t have to feel so shitty for what he’s about to say.

“The humans...they...they’re planning on hunting us…” Lio said, hugging himself in an attempt to ground himself. The air smelled stale as a breeze passed through some deep recesses of the cave; bringing with it dust and the smell of a fresh kill. 

The blood was still dripping from Meis’ fingers. He seemed to have noticed and has started licking some of the blood off. Lio felt his stomach lurch; his appetite quickly abandoned. 

“Then we’ll just have to kill the hunters before they kill us, plain and simple.”

“ _No--_ it’s not _plain and simple_ , Meis! These humans _fully_ intend to murder us in direct retaliation for the bodies we left piling on their doorstep! We can’t afford to lose anyone- _I_ can’t afford that!”

“Kid, we’ve been at this a lot longer than you, alright? We got this under control.”

“ _Our earlier numbers were bigger than 3, Meis!_ There were almost 20 of us when we started!” Lio yelled; weighted tears leaving a lump in his throat. “Our numbers were strong; we didn’t have to worry about where our next meals were coming from, or what clothes we would have, it was all accounted for! Now, we’re scraping by - resorting to _murdering_ innocent humans in order to score a big meal. That’s not ideal, Meis. It’s sad.”

Meis had just ripped out the throat of the deer he hunted and began eating. “I agree. Our numbers _were_ bigger back then. But you have to understand, there was a lot of politics happening behind the scenes while you were still young and learning, _little_ Lio. Pack members up and leaving of their own accord because of internal division, some getting sick and dying and others being hunted down like cattle. I used to worry about all of that shit on a daily basis, but I can’t dwell on the past _and_ worry about the present and future, now can I? All we have _is_ each other. If it means we have to make unsavory choices to protect and provide for what’s ours then so be it.” Meis’ voice was cold, but with a slightly tired edge to it that left Lio’s emotions shattered. All of it that he said was true; there were circumstances to why the previous numbers dwindled so much. Lio just didn’t understand the full mechanics of it. And now that it’s been spelled out in a way that he can understand, he was _still_ frustrated because of the _way_ everything happened.

The frustrated tears fell then as Lio stormed off; his Lupine form clawing within to be free.

* * *

Watching Lio’s form retreat with the wagon was interesting. His form was small, yes, but his back looked strong. Eyes had an older edge to them that Galo wanted to know the full story behind. When he mentioned the wolves earlier, something seemed to be plaguing him. Something like guilt. Maybe he knows where they’re hiding and doesn’t want to say…?

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone rang. Checking the caller I.D. he saw that it’s Kray. Thoughts of the Mayor’s strong hands on his hips sent a shiver down his spine. He just hopes that he won’t be as rough as he has been in previous encounters. 

“Ah! Hey, Mayor,” Galo answered, tone cheerful, if not a little breathless. He just got done putting his hair up in a topknot and buttoning his shirt before putting his phone on speaker. There was no one around, so he didn’t worry about being heard. 

“Galo. I trust we’re still on for tonight?” Kray asked, pouring a small amount of scotch in a pre-chilled glass. He always liked to pregame before seeing Galo. The younger man tended to have the enthusiasm of a teenager when it came to pleasing him and as endearing and thoughtful as it was, too much enthusiasm actually annoyed him. The alcohol was to mellow him out so he wasn’t too rough. If he recalled correctly, Galo still has the scar under the initial section of his collarbone. That can’t be good for someone to see. 

“Of course. Will the heater be on? It was kind of chilly the last time I was there after hours.” Galo heard him audibly take a sip of his beverage he poured and chuckle. 

“Yes, the heater will be on. No need for you to get a cold. I don’t pay you to be sick.” Kray said, looking out into the town he resides over. He sees some people driving from shops, a mother and her child carrying bags of groceries from the local market, and a group of girls going to the arcade. Though the paycheck was a right incentive to do his job, he had a duty to protect these people. To be a hero. Dare he say, he wants to make sure _they_ know he’s willing to do all it takes to make sure his people are well taken care of. 

“Well, no. Also, did you need me to bring anything? Dinner? Dessert? A...raincoat?” His attention snapped back to the conversation he was spacing out on and remembered the initial reason for his calling. Speaking of incentives…

“No need to worry about a raincoat, I always come prepared. Just let me know how many rounds I can give you and I’ll make it so.” Kray says, laying on the seduction thicker than molasses on toast. He really wanted to butter up this gullible man so he’d be more than willing to risk his life to protect the town. It definitely pays to have been nurturing him at a young age to obey every word he says.

“Very well, let me finish up here at the cabin and I’ll be there within the hour.”

“Good, good. Remember the key is under the doormat. See you then.” Kray said, before hanging up without so much as a goodbye. Galo knew not to expect one. Would’ve been nice, but he knew certain things would make their exchange mean more than it did, so he knew to not really push his luck and hope for too much. Besides, how many people can say they slept with _Mayor Kray_ of all people? 

Not many. If any. He keeps his private life separate from his work life, which people seem to like about him. Even Galo himself is impressed. 

* * *

[ **21ST BODY FOUND IN STRING OF WOLF-RELATED MURDERS** ]

“Shit. This isn’t good.” Biar muttered as she saw the headline in the paper that was delivered to the Mayor’s office. He was just starting to feel great about the recent meeting about town expansion and how the families were starting to recover from the emotional loss of their loved ones. (The check he wrote to the families helped as well, but it was mostly for assisting with incomes.)

Biar heard the Mayor muttering something into his phone as he was in his office; no doubt scheduling another wild night with that obnoxious park ranger, Galo. Sure, she thinks he’s annoying because of his cheerful attitude and optimistic demeanor, but she’s also bitter that he captured the mayor’s attention more than she ever has in any capacity. 

“ _...meeting tonight...yes, I’ll have the heater going...no need to worry about a raincoat, I always come prepared-_ ” ‘Disgusting,’ she thinks as she grabs the paper, her briefcase, coat and keys and was about to head out the door, but she figured she’d wait until Mayor Kray could actually _pay attention_ to her announcing her departure, before just outright doing o and getting scolded for it. The _clack_ of the landline and the creaking of him getting up and out of his chair for something was all the indication she needed in order to make her announcement. 

“Mr. Mayor, I’m leaving for the night.” She said, digging into her purse for her usual vice of a silver flask. She only drinks after work; and only a tad until she can go home and have as many glasses of _Cabernet Sauvignon_ as she desires.

“Great job today on the meeting, Biar. You were a great help. Please remember to lock the door on your way out.”

“Of course, sir.” She said, closing the front door and heading to her car, just as Galo pulled up in his old ass pickup truck. She tried to glare at him as he pulled into the space a few places away from her car, but it came out as a frown, so she simply got in her car before he tries to make conversation about what mundane bullshit thing he did. At least when she’s off the clock and out of Kray’s sight and earshot, she doesn’t have to make nice and socialize with him. Galo doesn’t seem to notice much, and she can’t decide if that’s a good or bad thing. 

All she knows is that she’s tired of harboring these dumbass feelings for her boss. 

Pulling off, she saw in her rearview mirror that Galo stooped to grab a key he’d planted under the doormat and she gripped her steering wheel a bit harder as she drove home, tears in her eyes. 

\-- 

Walking into Kray’s job after his assistant leaves for the day always makes him feel like he’s the Mistress that the husband is cheating with. He noticed Biar’s feelings towards Kray, but because Kray single tracks a lot and never really picks up on cues until after his initial goals are met, Kray just brushed it off as ‘well, she likes how driven I am’ and left it at that. 

Even Galo, in all of his weird delusions about love and feelings isn’t even going to kid himself as to think that Kray likes him romantically either. Sure what they have is nice, but that’s all it is. 

The first thing Galo noticed though was that the evening sun painted the beige office and brown furniture in an orange glow that made it seem romantic. It was easy to slip into the _idea_ of romanticism; if only for a moment. He hung his jacket on the nearby coat rack, kicked off his shoes and walked toward the office, footsteps hushed on the carpet. A quick rapping on the door to signify his presence was rewarded with Kray opening the door, shirtless and with a small smile on his face. 

“Thanks for inviting me. It’s been a while.”

“It has.” Kray said, stepping aside and letting Galo enter. Galo noticed the warmth of the heater first before everything else. The polished way the desk reflected off of the sunset left little to the imagination of the implications that Kray had planned for the evening. A soft flush to his face had him clearing his throat to ease the nervousness. It’s been at least a month since Kray made another call to Galo that wasn’t related to the wolves. One solid month where it was business and not pleasure. He began to think that the only reason why the Mayor called was to say something about the animals. 

In the back of his mind, he started to think he wasn’t wanted anymore. 

He wasn’t even going to mention that. He simply was going to let the moment just _be_ before he ruined something. 

“Do you want something to drink?” Kray asked, heading for his mini fridge for ice. His glass had a small amount of brown in the corner that Galo wanted to take and have a sip of, before realizing that he could just do it with his own glass. 

“Uh, sure. Thanks.” Galo said as he moved to sit down on the nearby couch. It was an ideal viewpoint for the forest he had to protect; the trees swaying slightly with a breeze that carried. Galo could smell the scent of pine coming in through one of the partially opened windows and he smiled. Part of why he is a park ranger was because he’s always loved nature. Feeling the earth beneath his feet, the sun on his face, the breeze in his hair...he adores it. 

He just wished he could do his job with no fuss _and_ still enjoy Kray’s company without him being stressed all the time. 

The sudden view of a glass in his face snapped him out of his rampant thoughts. 

"Having second thoughts, Galo?" Kray asked as Galo took the glass. It was chilled already, with condensation going down the sides, making it almost slip in grasp. A sheepish smile etched across Galo's face as he got up with the intent to fill his own glass of poison, but was taken aback by the close proximity of Kray. 

Galo could almost see the dark amber of his eyes. The same color of the liquor that he's heavily considering partaking in. 

"No, Mayor, sir," Galo said, looking at the sunset behind Kray, reflecting in his blond hair. He looked almost angelic at this moment, almost like he was faultless and could do no wrong…

"Something's weighing heavily on your mind, Galo. You're usually more relaxed than this. By this point, you would've had your hand in my pants and have started stroking me off, or you would already be on your knees." Kray said, cupping Galo's face with his large hand. Galo leaned into it and placed his hand over his. 

"It's not too important. We can continue-"

"Well, if whatever's on your mind is distracting you this much _now_ , I don't want us to be in the middle of something important and you're not completely here." Kray said; undoing Galo's pants and guiding his hand over Galo's semi-hard cock. It stirred as it was touched and prodded without directly touching it, which let Kray know he wasn't _too_ distracted which was good. 

"Mmmf. It's.. _ah_...nothing, sir."

"I told you, Galo. I'd rather get rid of all distractions so you can focus." Kray said, reaching inside his boxer flap and stroking Galo's cock. The hard, velvette flesh felt great in Kray's hand. Not too big that he felt guilty of stopping him, and not too small that he felt like being cruel every time he did. 

"Mmm...okay, okay, fine, I'll tell you." Kray smiled triumphantly while Galo's eyes were closed in ecstasy. 

"Okay," Kray said, pausing his stroking while guiding Galo back to his large mahogany desk so he can sit (and later get pounded). "Let's here these thoughts."

Galo, breathing heavily in order to catch his breath, turned to Kray. 

"I was thinking about the town and how much more I can do to keep people alive, ya know? I feel like I'm not doing my job too well since every few days there's a new body that's been found."Galo said as he shifted so that he was back onto the floor. Kray sighed and ran the hand that he wasn't busy pleasuring Galo with, through his hair and went to grab another drink. Kray already _knew_ all of this. He saw the forensic reports that came floating on his desk one after another; his temper rising with each notification. He needed to only give the order for his trusted park ranger to do what needed to be done with the wolves, but with Galo being a fucking _bleeding heart_ , it made things complicated. 

Kray needed to turn both the conversation - and the mood - in his favor so he could get the results he so deeply desired. 

"Galo...is this _really_ what you came here for when I called?" Kray asked, shaking his glass with watered down booze before swallowing the rest down and loudly putting the glass down to punctuate that he's not here to talk - at least, not about those damn wolves. If the conversation were about _anything_ else, he'd be more apt to listening to what Galo had to say. 

Galo held his glass in hand, the cold of the ice a welcome contrast to the heat of the room, before setting it down on the desk cover, walking over to where Kray stood and after a moment of serious eye contact, he stretched up and met the Mayor's lips.

The kiss was cold as ice as tongues met; the smoky taste of bourbon between them. Kray snaked his hands down Galo's sides before squeezing Galo's ass and lifting him. A small whine was heard as he was once again lifted onto the desk and laid down into the center. With Kray's body weight on top of Galo, there was no way he could escape; no way he could think past the consistent stream of thought that was _he's here, he's here_ and that's precisely what Kray wanted - what his main goal was. 

Pulling away, Kray observed as Galo's body broke out into a full flush; a slight tinge of pink tailed from Galo's face, to his chest and some of his abdomen. A smirk etched it's way onto Kray's face before he began hungrily attacking; kissing and biting at every inch of skin he could get his mouth on. He wiggled Galo out of his pants and boxers, freed his (now) hard and strained cock and began rapidly jerking; Galo's moans loud and desperate in the empty room. Kray slid down to the floor, pulling Galo up to a sitting position; wordlessly telling him to watch as Kray took him into his hungry mouth. Galo instinctively wanted to grip Kray's head to force him down more, but decided against it. They simply don't have the type of dynamic where Galo is the one who takes. 

It's usually Kray that does the taking, and he's doing an excellent job of it now. 

"Fffuuuck, Mayor! Mmmmf, _so good._ " Galo said as he was worked into a slow, torturous pace, with a persistent tongue, soft lips and the occasional slight pinprick of teeth along the head and grazing the frenulum that left Galo _shivering._

 _"_ Ah! Mayor, is it fine if I cum down your throat? _Please?!"_ Kray answered by taking more of Galo down his throat until his pelvic bone was grazing Kray's nose with each thrust. Galo not realizing he was actually fucking the Mayor's throat until he stopped as he came; his legs tingly and feeling like jelly with the force of it. Kray just slurped up Galo's cum with enthusiasm, throat constricting with each swallow. 

"Fuck... _wow."_ Galo said as he flopped back onto the hard desk, with Kray shimmying the rest of Galo's jeans off as they were resting on his ankles. Wordlessly, he began to prod Galo's puckering asshole; the muscle of flesh slightly resisting the intrusion before Galo relaxed and let him slide a finger inside. 

There, Kray had to make a decision for what the lube should be: melting ice cubes or what little of Galo's cum was in his mouth. 

Figuring it would put Galo more in the mood with the latter, he spread Galo's ass and shotgunned the leftover cum into his open asshole. Galo moaned loudly as his cum was worked into his as with one hand, and Kray working his cock to full hardness with the other. Standing, he positioned himself in front of Galo's ass. 

"All at once, or just the tip to tease?" Kray asked in a breathy tone as Galo writhed as he began to fuck himself with just the tip of Kray; something one wouldn't just do unless you knew what you were doing to begin with. 

" _All at once it is._ " Kray growled as he shoved himself inside Galo's tight, hot ass. Both men moaning as Kray's thrusts were slow and hard; both for impact and to give Galo a moment or two to adjust. It has been a while and while the Mayor was backed up, he wasn't _completely_ heartless. 

"Fuck, you feel just as good as I remember. Maybe _even better_ , shit!" Kray said, picking up the pace while Galo pinched at a nipple with one hand and jerked himself off with the other. Kray threw his head back in pleasure as Galo tightened around him, cumming once more with a scream. 

"Mayor! _Mayor_! Fuck!" He chanted over and over like a prayer. Kray just fucked him faster; his own orgasm building and building to a beautiful end, but he didn't want to cum just yet. 

He pulled out just enough to flip Galo onto his stomach and went back inside; the pace just as punishing as before. His desk thumped as it was being used in such a vulgar way as Kray fucked Galo like he never would again. Galo's hips almost bruising as he bumped the wood of the desk over and over and over. 

"Galo, you damn slut, take all of my fucking LOAD!" Kray yelled as he thrust deep into Galo's ass, cum pumping out of him. Galo bit his lip so hard it began to bleed as he came for the 3rd time. After a minute or two, Kray pulled out, cum leaking from his abused hole as he breathlessly sought out his couch to sit on. Maybe they'll go for another round later, but for now, he was satisfied and his balls no longer felt tight from consistent buildup with little to no release. 

Catching his breath and sitting down, he laid his head on the back of his couch, muscles sore, yet relaxed at the same time. Galo laid on the desk still, twitching from the aftershocks of pleasure, cum leaking a tiny stream from his ass. After a few more moments, Kray got up and grabbing his glass from earlier, he went back to his tray where the alcohol was stored and forgoing ice, he poured himself an after sex glass of scotch. He looked over his shoulder at Galo and noticed he had finally sat up, but was a bit wobbly with his movements; almost as if he didn't want to make a mess all over Kray's carpet. 

Kray honestly didn't care. He simply poured Galo a glass and handed it to him in passing as he headed back to the couch. Hopefully now, whatever conversation piece he began with would finally die down and they could have some alone time together that _wasn't_ punctuated with the ever looming threat of animal murders. 

Taking several shuddering breaths, Galo received the glass handed him and drank without thinking. 

The alcohol was very bitter, but because he was thirsty he overlooked it. Setting down his glass, Kray opened up a drawer where a lamp rested and pulled out his cigar box, cutter and a box of matches. 

"So, Mayor," Galo began. The mountain air was crisp, and the office was warm. Kray was enjoying his post-sex cigar, and Galo felt fuzzy and slightly sore. His hip bones had a dull ache from where he had been pounded into the Mayor's desk, but he didn't care. 

"I've said to call me 'Kray' while we're alone, didn't I, Galo?" Kray playfully blew smoke in his face, which caused Galo to chuckle a bit. 

"Fine. _Kray._ " 

The mayor tried to suppress the shudder that came with hearing his name from Galo, but since they were making eye contact, Galo saw anyway.

"When I catch the wolves that are terrorizing the town, what do I do with them? I mean, they _are_ wild. Aren't _we_ disrupting _their_ habitat?"

Kray's eyes were unfocused for a moment before he took another drag of his cigar. The thick smoke filled the room, and the scent of spicy, sweet tobacco made Galo's wet hole clench around the memory of his presence. This wasn't a question that required pondering. The solution was simple. 

The wolves were to be killed, so he could return to his normal, quiet life as soon as possible. Hearing about them were grating on his nerves. Their mere presence was an eyesore. 

"They die." 

Galo was in the middle of swallowing his last bit of scotch, when he heard his lover's words. As the mayor, his word was law. 

"They-?"

"Die. What part of my instructions were unclear?" 

"But...they were just getting food-"

"No. They were _murdering_ innocent people. These monsters are tearing families apart. Our town was operating just fine without them being here and ever since they arrived, I've had to hear about them _over and over_. Autopsy report after autopsy report. News article after news article. I can't even safely travel to my own damn home without paparazzi swarming me like a bunch of angry, persistent bees. Do you have _any idea_ what it's like, Galo? To have your peace _violently_ ripped from you?" Galo hung his head before muttering a pathetic ' _no, sir'_.

"It's a living nightmare. I don't want to have to deal with this shit anymore. Not while my election is in a few months, not while it's _my_ good name being tossed in the dirt and especially not while I have a capable man like _you_ to do something about it." Galo's heart sank. He was hoping it didn't have to come to this. 

"Do you understand what I'm saying now?" Kray said, his words punctuated by blowing out more smoke like an angry dragon. All this time he thought the constant mention of animal traps and various other snares were just a last resort type of ordeal, not it being the only option. But Galo simply has to reason with the thought of: what if it was him as the Mayor? How far would he go to maintain the peace and sanctity of his own town? 

"I understand, Kray." 

"Wonderful. Don't disappoint me." Kray said, snuffing out the butt of the cigar against the worn ashtray before picking up his shirt off the arm of the couch and slipping it on. Galo figured there was a reason why he was called out of the blue, but figured _maybe, just maybe_ this visit was just them spending time with one another without the pretext of work.

He regretted having his hopes up. 

Bending over (quickly ignoring the dull throbbing in his ass) and grabbing his pants and pulling them up, he buckled his belt and made his way back out of Kray's office. 

"Oh, Galo," Kray called as he lingered in the doorway. Turning his head to face Kray, he saw that he was smiling. For some reason, it made his stomach churn. 

"Feel free to use as much violence as necessary. I want them _dead_." 

Galo nodded wordlessly as he left Kray's office; a heavy lump in his chest as he thought of ways to both keep his job and make the Mayor regain faith in him. 

* * *

"Look at what the wolf dragged in," Meis said as Guiera came back from _hours_ of being missing, only to return to their hideout with a body of a man with a torn out throat; face permanently contorted in a scream. He dropped the body in front of the small fire that they had going before heading further into the cave. "Lio isn't going to be happy about this, you know." 

Meis saw his mate's body contort from lupine to human; bones cracking, shaping, forming human skin again. His pained howls and yelps turned human as he shook himself from the dull ache that rested in his bones. 

"I thought we only took Lio's opinion into consideration when it came to non-life altering decisions. Food isn't something he should give a fuck about, much less _where_ it came from. Besides, he never cared before, so I wonder what this _humanitarian_ side of his is all about." Guiera said with a snort as he walked back to where Meis was sitting; face illuminated by the flames. To Guiera, food was food. If a human wanted to be stupid enligh to wander into the woods despite the warnings and sayings not to because of them, then said stupid human was as good as dead. 

To Lio, food was anything _except_ human. 

Meis was the weird middle ground. Or at least, he was supposed to be. 

“At any rate, he’s not our leader, you are. He’s just a lone pup we found wandering around on the brink of starvation that we took in. Not sure what happened to his sensibilities, but the Lio that we raised isn’t the one who pities humans. Much less, sees them as anything other than food.”

“Maybe that human he met that he got the firewood from talked to him about ‘the scary wolves’?”

“Come to think of it,” Meis said, sniffing this human and wrinkling his nose at the stench of the body. “He did say something about the humans planning to attack us. Hunt us down in direct retaliation for the bodies, or something like that.”

“Huh. Well, we’ll just resume what we’ve always been doing, right Meis?”

“If it means protecting what little numbers we have, then yes. Lio will just have to deal with it-”

“ _What the fuck?!”_ Lio said, standing at the entrance of the cave; arms full of dead rabbits. His eyes were furious as he regarded both of his packmates; both looking unphased at his anger. 

“We needed food.”

“ _I_ have food!” Lio said, tossing the animals to the ground. 

“Yeah, but that was from who-knows-how long. At least mine was still screaming by the time he died-” Lio moved forward and punched Guiera in the face, him falling to the ground and holding his cheek. Meis stood and walked between them as Guiera got back up; claws extended and ready to strike. 

“Stop this needless bickering. Who cares how we get the food, as long as we have something to feed ourselves-”

“ _I care_! We need to stop killing the humans! I told Meis they’re planning a counter strike against us! They’re planning to hunt us down and kill us because we killed so many of them - and are _apparently_ continuing to do so. Have you no self-restraint?”

Guiera growled and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Self-restraint is for the weak. We’re at the top of the fucking food chain, asshole. We’re _predators_. We’ve been acting like it for _years_. _You have too_. What the fuck changed with you so much that you’re suddenly a _bleeding heart_ for those pitiful humans that have done nithing but reject us, cast us out, and now, are hunting us, Lio? Was it the human you met or something? Did she-”

“ _He._ ”

“- _He,_ strike your fancy so much that you’re willing to go to the ends of the earth to make sure they live a happy and fulfilled life, while you’re sitting here _starving yourself_ and _denying_ who you truly are?!” Guiera said as he punched the nearby wall and turned to face Lio, rage clear in his eyes. Meis watched as Guiera’s hand trembled from the force of the hit; knuckles bloody and sore. Lio blinked back several tears as Guiera scolded him like a child. He was only trying to protect what little members of the pack that’s left. He was only trying to make sure they were safe and happy. 

“Fine,” Lio said, taking several shuddering breaths and feeling the wolf within whine in defeat. “I suppose you two _are_ more experienced in decision making than me. After all, I’m but a young pup who doesn’t know any better. I’ll just...survey the area.” Lio said as he got down on all fours; felt the crackling and changing of flesh and bone as he changed back and ran as far as his legs could carry him. Sure the scents of his packmates were fresh in his nasal memory, but he wanted to go beyond them. 

Soon, the scent of Galo entered his nose. He was close by, and moving fast. 

Skidding to a complete stop, he padded through the forest until he came to some nearby bushes. He heard the rattling of chains; smelled the old iron in the grass and saw as he assembled a few traps here and there, careful to not accidentally set them off himself. 

Then he heard him muttering, “Please let me not catch any goddamn wolves tonight. I hope you guys wander off on your own.”

Lio was...torn. On the one hand, yes, he didn’t want there to be any bloodshed if he could avoid it, but on the other hand, he knew to defend himself. 

Walking around the traps and edging closer towards town, he heard a few voices in the distance along with a few tracker dogs about there being a wolf nearby. Was Galo with them? 

“I see tracks! It can’t have gone far!” _Shit._ Lio began to take a different way to double back; hopefully Guiera and Meis put out that fire first before leaving. Hopefully, he wasn’t followed. 

Hopefully, Galo wasn’t with them. 

* * *

Galo knew how to follow the rules, even if he did so reluctantly most times. When Kray asked to make sure that there were warnings and signs put up at the local parks to warn about the wolves, he did so. When he said to fine anyone that’s out past curfew, he did so, albeit with an apologetic face at the sight of the townsfolk’s angry faces. 

“ _My baby was hungry.”_

_“My child is sick.”_

_“My husband was just getting home from work.”_ Kray told Galo not to let up with anyone’s asinine excuses. Taxes were already high, the cost of living was exuberant and don’t get him started on most groceries…

Whatever Kray asked for, Galo did, without fail. 

Yet him, harming innocent animals was something he hesitated with. Yes, the fact that these wolves were murdering people was something he should’ve seen as an instant threat and dealt with it with no fuss; he still hesitated. 

He still second guessed Kray’s command. At the end of the day they were still trying to feed themselves. 

Now, with him setting traps in the hotspots that they’re likely to pop up at; the metal bear traps heavy with malicious intent, he felt sick to his stomach. And just to ensure that Galo actually did his job and _not_ fuck up, Kray followed with an angry mob of trusted men. They were fed up with the way these damn dogs were handled and wanted to put a stop to the senseless deaths. 

So with that, they were adamant on tracking down these monsters and seeing them dead. It was only fair right?

A pained dog’s yelp broke Galo’s thoughts as he doubled back from his current location; the mob’s excited yelling and rambunctious behavior a loud cry in the darkened forest. 

“Fuck yeah! We got one of the fuckers!” Galo heard as he neared the crowd and saw a white wolf caught on the bear trap; his paw wedged in as he wiggled and tried to get free. His back paw soaked with blood from his wound.

“Galo, what do we do with it? Kill it right?” The more it struggled to get free; the more blood was wasted. The more blood stained the forest floor, the more Galo felt his stomach turn. 

“Maybe this one isn’t the only wolf. This one has a smaller jaw than the one in the autopsy reports. Wolves...often act in a pack.”

“Yeah. Yeah! You’re right! We should let it go so it can lead us to the others!” At those words, the wolf turned to look at Galo, eyes almost pleading. Galo felt like the world was ripped from under his feet. 

He’d seen those eyes before...they looked so _human_. They looked like _Lio_ ’s. 

But there’s _no way in hell_ Lio is anything other than human, right? Right?!

The screeching of the metal teeth wrenching free and the wolf painfully limping away broke Galo from that train of thought. Turning off their flashlights, the mob of men followed the wolf several yards away in case they were right in their assumptions. 

* * *

How did he get so _careless_?! He should’ve _known_ there was a fucking trap there, yet those damn heavy metal meeth clamped around his back paw like a deadly vice. One would think since this happened before, he'd be better prepared, but no. Unable to help himself in this form, he yelped and immediately notified the humans to his location. Swearing, he saw about 8 flashlights quickly approaching him as they watched him flail about, the teeth stuck deep in his foot as he whimpered in pain. 

At the sound of Galo’s name he felt his heart lurch. At the sound of him saying that the wolves act in a pack, he felt his blood rush in his veins; the urge to run - to get the fuck away from this situation and alert the others was the only priority. Fuck fiding a mate. Fuck love. Staying alive was the only objective. 

Fuck, he was so goddamn delusional! Worrying about how the _fuck_ Galo smelled, looked and just...UGH. 

Then he heard those awful humans say they should let him go to be used as a trap for Guiera and Meis and without thinking, he looked at Galo. For a split second, Lio humored himself with the thought that maybe, _just maybe_ Galo recognized him and would call the whole thing off, but he didn’t have time to process that far, before his legs were already carrying him back to their hideout. 

Lio couldn’t even bring himself to transform back; the pain in his limbs was too much. He was all too aware of the scents of those humans trailing him, but was more focused on getting to his packmates. 

At the sight of him limping, Guiera and Meis stood, ears on alert. 

“What the fuck, Lio! You lead them here?!” Guiera yelled as he transformed; uncaring of the twisting pain and contorting bone. Right now, he only cared about doing as much damage to their numbers as possible. Even if it meant he dies in the process. 

“Shit! Here they come!” One man yelled as Guiera lunged at him, mouth open to bite, rip and tear. Blood flowed freely from the man’s neck as Guiera’s muzzle was stained with blood, the other men trying to get their hands on him to do him harm. Meis was too busy trying to see what happened to Lio to really worry about himself, but Lio managed to whimper out a pained cry before passing out from blood loss. 

Cursing, Meis transformed and took a few people’s clubs to the back, the side of his muzzle and one to the back of his foot, before he found the biggest guy there and charged for him, intent on ripping his throat open for barking orders at the rest of those vile humans. Meis pounced on him and had bit down on Kray’s arm; making him yell out in pain, before a gunshot went off aimed at Meis’ chest and his iron grip went limp. Kray angrily pushed the wolf off of him as he also shot it again just to make sure the wolf stayed dead. Guiera heard the shot and was distracted long enough to stop mauling the other guy he caught, and get stabbed in his side with a pitchfork someone had jabbed in him. 

“No!” Galo yelled as he was the last to catch up despite the uproar taking place, only to see one dead wolf and another badly wounded. 

“Galo,” Kray said, breathless and ripping off part of his shirt to tend to his bite. “We had this conversation earlier, remember? The wolves die. They’ve cost us too much.”

“I know that, Kray! But this one isn’t a wolf! He’s a human just like us! Didn’t you see their eyes?-”

“Why would I pay attention to their eyes?!”

“Well, there were two men in this cave before there were wolves, right?!”

"You mean to tell me that there are _humans_ changing into wolves? How fucking idiotic do you sound, Galo?”

“I mean it! For once, just put aside you stupid fucking pride and _listen_ to me!” The forest was mostly silent save for the whimpering of the wolves that were alive; the large brown one was hobbling towards the smaller white one and licked his face before regaining the reserved strength to transform back to his human skin. The group of men gasped in shock as they saw not a wolf, _but a man_ with a pitch fork wedged into his side. Laughing.

"Fighting amongst yourselves...how pathetic."

His teeth were stained with blood and his breathing was wheezing. 

“Well, you fuckers caught us. Congratulations.”

“I...we...we thought you were just _wolves_ -”

“You kill innocent animals that are just trying to fucking survive?! How barbaric. And you call _us_ the animals here.”

“Well, you _are!_ 21 bodies were found with their throats ripped open, dismembered, disemboweled, all kinds of fucked up shit all because of _your_ kind-”

“Our numbers weren’t always small, you know. There used to be at least 20 of us a few years back. They all either died off due to old age, decided to stray off to do their own thing, or just disappeared. Nobody ever knew why, but I’ve always had my suspicions. With each new body I killed, I gained more information as to what happened to my pack. Before long, I knew just what happened. Newsflash, you fucks. Your precious Mayor has been the cause of each and every member of my pack dying over the course of 10 years. Wanna know how?”

The few that were left were looking amongst themselves and back at him. Galo stepped forward and asked: “How?”

Kray just looked furious, but that was nothing new. 

“Well, he used to be our Alpha, before we kicked his ass out. Hasn’t anyone else wondered _why_ he wanted to be the mayor of this town and also kill us off? Sure, when we weren’t doing anything and just living normal human lives, it was fine, but the _second_ we were acting as our true selves, we were suddenly targets and needed to be killed.”

The group of men looked amongst themselves as Kray’s eyes changed and he walked to where Guiera laid, protecting Lio’s unconscious body. 

“Well, asshole? Not so tough now that everyone knows your secret? Think about it? How else did he know we were hiding in caves, or how did he know our _exact_ escape routes? He helped us plan these when we used to run around together. And now that you’re above us, you just wanna _erase_ your past like it’s a bad night out?! You can’t run from your past, Kray. Eventually, it’s all gonna come back to bite you on your ass-” Kray yanked the pitchfork out of Guiera’s side as he coughed up blood. Lio began to stir beneath him and Guiera slightly panicked as he laughed. 

“Fine, so you killed me and my mate. Are you happy now, fucker?”

“I’ll be happy when you’re all fucking dead.” Kray spat as he kicked Guiera over, causing him to groan as he picked up Lio by his scruff, a yelp in the back of his throat.

“Don’t hurt him!” Galo yelled as he tried to wrench Lio from Kray’s grip. Kray backhanded him away from him as he took the earlier pitchfork and jammed it into Lio’s front; a loud cry coming from the wolf as blood stained his torso and he went limp. Kray dropped the wolf to the ground as he walked away from the sound of Galo crying.

“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Kray muttered as he walked away from the crowd. They wondered what should happen now that it was revealed that Kray’s the very beast that he swore to destroy. 

Should they stop him from trying to escape? Should they kill him too in case he tries to go haywire and kill humans? What if he’s too strong for them to handle?

Galo cried as he held Lio’s now naked body in his arms, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. 

The forest witnessed the deaths of 3 _men_ tonight, not wolves, which was honestly what fucked them up the most. Everyone involved began to question their morals. Boundaries that were supposed to be kept sacred; lines that were never meant to be crossed, suddenly were. Galo and the other men present were emotionally distraught as they wondered _who_ their leader was and if he could even be trusted again. In such a short time, it was hard to tell who was man or beast; friend or foe. 

In the end, they were all trying to tackle the survival of the fittest; Kray just dealt dirty tricks. 

Galo stayed behind as he buried the 3 guys next to each other; tears flowing from his face like a waterfall. His only regret being that he never broke things off with Kray before he disappeared, nor did he ever find out more about Lio. 

But he guessed his earlier words _did_ make sense:

_“W...Will I see you again? Maybe? When all this madness is over?”_

_“Maybe. I don’t think we’ll recognize each other though.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“...Don’t worry about it. I just hope that if we do see each other again, it’ll be like this.”_

Lio was right, Galo _didn’t_ recognize him. At least, not initially. 

He had hoped he would’ve gotten one more chance to see him as clearly and brightly as earlier too, but maybe some things were for the best.


End file.
